How Airbnb apologized for its way-too-snarky San Francisco ads

The popular traveler site Airbnb is facing opposition in its hometown.

In this October. 20, 2015, photo, Michael Rouppet poses for photos outside of the home he was evicted from in San Francisco. With tag lines like “Go look through their windows, so you can understand their views”, and “Sleep in their beds, so you may know their dreams”, the ads left many with a strong sense of unease. “So to lose housing units for tourist accommodations – it is just insanity”.

Airbnb’s controversial ad campaign, which has been popping up in several billboards around the city, came in advance of a public vote on Proposition F. According to Associated Press, Proposition F on the November 3 San Francisco ballot would impose stricter restrictions on the use of Airbnb in the city.

“We apologize for Wednesday’s SF ads”, the San Francisco startup tweeted, as per Agence France-Presse.

Meanwhile, Airbnb denies any role in the city’s affordable-housing problems. Average asking rent for a studio apartment in the city is ,828 a month according to RealFacts, a real estate data company.

But those agreeing with Mr. Lehane and Airbnb, say short-term rentals provide homeowners with much needed income and more visitors to San Francisco contribute tourism revenue and tax dollars.

After aggressively engaging in a long legal battle to avoid paying the city’s 14 percent hotel tax, Airbnb was finally forced to shell out over million in back taxes earlier this year. “It’s wild”, he told the Chronicle, echoing the thoughts of pretty much everyone in San Francisco.

The company’s statement admitted poor judgement, and said the advertisements did not reflect Airbnb’s values.

“Dear Parking Enforcement, please us the $12 million in hotel taxes to feed all expired parking meters”, one read.

An Airbnb spokesperson told The Huffington Post this week that the campaign’s goal was to highlight the hotel tax contributions made by the company’s guests and hosts, but it took “the wrong tone”.

If Proposition F gets the required “Yes” votes and becomes an official ordinance (ironically, in the city Airbnb was founded), short-term rentals will be limited to 75 days a year and it would be mandatory for Airbnb-style hosting companies to remove listings that violate this limit, the AP said.